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Businesses Turn Energy Savings Into a Profit for the Environment

(Washington, D.C. – March 21, 2006) What do a snack food company, a car manufacturer, a building supplier and a hotel chain have in common? They are part of a select group of 67 businesses and organizations that achieved major energy savings or helped others save money. Tonight, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy will confer partner-of-the-year awards on these organizations for their accomplishments and leadership in the Energy Star program.

Last year alone, Americans with the help of Energy Star, saved enough energy to power 28 million homes and reduced greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to that of 23 million cars, all while saving $12 billion on their energy bills. More than 500,000 new homes have earned the Energy Star distinction and more than 26,000 office buildings, schools, supermarkets and hotels have benchmarked their energy use.

Energy Star partners of the year, including Fortune 500 companies and small businesses, set and reached annual goals to shrink energy use. For example, a retailer reduced energy use by 25 percent in more than 1,200 of its stores and a property management firm improved energy efficiency over 22 million square feet, saving more than $2 million annually.

Energy Star was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Now in partnership with DOE, EPA works with more than 8,000 organizations to improve the energy efficiency of products, homes and businesses.